Back in the day, I worked in the corporate world.
I know the frustrations and challenges that come with working
a 9 to 5 day, and eating healthfully so below I’ve
listed the 5 best on-the-go salad containers to bring with you to work at eat at your desk.

I used to struggle, especially, with breakfast and lunch. In the mornings, I would rush out
of my apartment and literally run to the subway in my high heels to get to work in time.
If I had a chance, I would buy a banana from the fruit vendor on the street
and pick up a container of yogurt to eat on the subway.
And in the afternoons, I would either eat a soggy salad (that I made myself) at my desk, or
I would run out to the nearby deli to pick up something quick to eat back at the office.

At the two corporate nutrition lectures I led last week —
I offered up some tips on how to prep healthy and delicious meals
in no time. These tips also work well for those of you who work from home.

What I’ve found is that with the right tools in place, you’re
set up for success. When it comes to eating healthfully, the right tupperware
will save you tons of time in the morning, and help you feel better.

You’ll no longer have to eat soggy salads, or wait on the 15-minute line at the nearby salad place!

Here are 5 of my favorite salad containers to bring on-the-go and to eat at work (in no specific order).

1. Sistema Klip It
$8
The best part of this container is that it not only keeps your salad dressing separate, it also keeps the lettuce apart from the toppings too. It also contains a fork, is leak proof and made from BPA-free plastic. It’s on the smaller side, so it’s best to use as a side salad.

2. Salad Blaster Bowl
$8
Not as fancy schmancy as the other salad containers, but it does the trick at preventing a soggy salad! And it’s larger than some of the others – holds 26 ounces of salad and 2 ounces of dressing. Just add your favorite salad dressing to the cap and press when ready to blast your salad with dressing. Please note – 1Tbsp of oil is considered one serving size so no need to fill up the dressing spout all of the way.

3. Frigidaire Lunch Box System with Cool Pack
$10
I’ve never personally used this one, but my clients love it. Perfect for an entire lunch — it can fit a salad, plus a sandwich and a snack (trail mix, nut bar, fruit). The major downside is that there isn’t a separate container for the dressing, but it does contain an ice-pack, so it will keep your food chilled and fresh until lunch.

4. Lifefactory Glass Food Storage
$20
A bit heavier and more expensive than the other bowls, but durable for travel and a great alternative if you’re anti-plastic. There isn’t a separate container for the dressing, but the silicone sleeve features a button closure that secures the container to the lid to prevent it from leaking. I love the water bottle version – great if you need to drink more water!

Hope these five containers have inspired you to make your own salads and bring them to work!
Here is one of my favorite, super simple and delish salad dressings: Simple Mustard Vinaigrette. For more salad ideas, check out my Simple Green Protein Salad. Don’t forget to add some protein so it’s filling and energizing! I love adding chickpeas, black beans, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds.

It gave me the chance to scout out new healthy brands and products, meet the owners of brands and ask questions about ingredients. I wasn’t able to go through every single aisle and stop at every single booth (my legs and feet got very tired after a few hours)!

I only recommend foods that I try, so here are The Top 22 Healthy products that I tasted myself and are “Be Well with Arielle approved.”

Post your healthy snacks on instagram and tag me @bewellwitharielle so I can see what you liked from the list!

Here are The Top 22 Healthy Products from the Summer Fancy Food Show:

1. Seven Sundays Muesli (Blueberry Chia Buckwheat) – gluten-free, nut-free and no refined sugars or oils make this a perfect, quick breakfast. Just pour some almond milk on top and voila, or soak them overnight in almond milk and eat in the morning, or heat up almond milk to a boil and cook for 3 minutes on low for a warming breakfast. Already sweetened with honey so no need to add any extra sweetener. Fast, simple and yummy.

4. Gimme Chips (Sea Salt Seaweed Rice Chips) – Yummy and crunchy, these are a great alternative to tortilla chips made with corn. Sea vegetables, like seaweed provide your body with minerals to help your hair and nails grow.

7. Simply Gum (Mint) – When I chew gum, this is my go-to. The taste doesn’t last too long, but I love that it’s made with all natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or flavors. The cinnamon flavor is delish, also.

8. Seasnax (Lime Seaweed Snacks) – such a crunchy, healthy, on-the-go snack. Great to eat at work, or to pack in your kid’s lunch box. This lime flavor is coming soon. If you’re not a fan of seaweed, you may like these a little better and if you’re already a fan of seaweed, you’re going to fall in love with these. Just a hint of fresh citrus and so delish.

9. Tava (Himalyan Salt Ghee) – lactose-free alternative to butter. Spread it onto toast, scramble eggs with it or bake with it! No need to add any salt to your dish. Tasty, healthy and will melt in your mouth.

10. Peas Please (Southwest Spice Baked Pea Snacks) – most “veggie” snacks are made from corn, potatoes, fillers and actually no veggies at all. A new product by Peeled Snacks, these organic snacks are made with five ingredients you can pronounce – including organic whole peas and whole grain brown rice. Crunchy and yummy and the perfect way to get your greens in with one whole vegetable per serving. Bring to work, on the plane, to the beach or put in your kid’s lunch box!

11. The Good Bean (Sea Salt Baked Chickpeas) – Each bag contains one serving so it’s great for an on-the-go snack or to pack in your bag to add to salads for extra protein, fiber and healthy crunch. I like the sea salt flavor – made of just chickpeas, oil and salt.

15. Drink Maple (Maple Water) – great drink, especially if you don’t like the taste of coconut water. High in electrolytes and just a tad sweet, so add some ice and drink on its own, or add to a smoothie for a post workout treat.

16. Beanitos (Hint of Lime Bean Chips) – this flavor is coming out soon to a store near you! If you love chips as much as I do, and especially love the flavored varieties – like cheese, BBQ, salt and vinegar, you’re going to be so obsessed with these. So delicious to just eat on their own, and high in fiber and protein. Get excited.

17. Sunbutter (No Sugar Added Sunflower Butter) – if you love peanut butter, try this nut-free version. It’s made of sunflower seeds so you can spread it onto your kids sandwiches and dont have to worry about packing in their lunchbox for camp or school.

19. Wild Zora (Grass-Fed Beef and Veggie Bar) – a tasty, high protein snack made of grass-fed meat and veggies! One package contains 7g of protein. Great post-workout snack to help replenish your energy and muscles.

20. Organic Gemini Tigernut (Raw Granola) – a gluten-free and nut-free granola from the popular producers of the tigernuts. Eat out of the bag as a snack – they’re like tiny little crackers – or, add some milk and eat for breakfast. High in protein and fiber.

I love anything and everything that is cold and creamy — ice-cream, especially.
It’s always been my ultimate favorite food.
When I was younger, I loved fat-free frozen yogurt so much, I would
eat it for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner.

When I went to nutrition school in 2008, though, it all changed. One night, I went to my favorite nearby frozen yogurt shop and asked the store clerk for the list of ingredients. She said she didn’t have the ingredients and that made me really wonder what was in it.

I walked out pretty flabbergasted. We all have the right to know what we are paying for and putting into our bodies, right?
So I did a little search – went into other frozen yogurt places – and found out my my favorite treat, although marketed to be a healthy treat, low calorie and made of “natural ingredients,” wasn’t so natural at all.

Since that day, I haven’t eaten it again. (I will admit to sometimes having tastes of it, but I haven’t actually paid for, or eaten an entire cup). I care about my body too much.

Still to this day, if you look up the ingredients from some of your favorite frozen yogurt companies, it’s so hard to find it on the websites. Makes me think – if it really were healthy, they would be transparent about it, right?

(Check out the Food Babe’s article, which includes a pretty thorough listing of the ingredients in popular frozen yogurt brands)

SO, as much as I love soft-serve frozen yogurt, I steer clear of it. When I do eat yogurt, I normally opt for less lactose versions, like sheeps-milk yogurt or dairy-free alternatives, like coconut yogurt and when I opt for ice-cream, I go for full-fat organic or coconut milk.

A few years ago when I was hosting a brunch for some friends, one of them happened to vegan at the time and I had to figure out a way to make a vegan version of yogurt. And this recipe came about.

Introducing my plain yogurt, sweetened up and “fancified” with some cherries! No lactose, no dairy and no crazy ingredients you can’t pronounce.

P.S. Arielle’s Tip: Try a “quick soak” for the cashews to speed up time so you don’t have to soak them overnight. Directions: Boil a pot of water. Pour boiling water over cashews and let soak for 30 minutes until soft. Voila! Then blend with the rest of the ingredients.

A few years ago, I took my first cooking class there —
a coconut class where we made an entire meal out of coconut!
I was ecstatic — not only did I people who were
as obsessed as I was about coconut, I found a school with like-minded people and similar beliefs about food.

NGI uses wholesome, natural ingredients to educate their students. Think: pasture-raised eggs, local and seasonal vegetables from the farmers market, high quality organic coconut oil in baked recipes, salads made with sea vegetables and cakes made out of almond flour!

It’s definitely Be Well with Arielle approved.

So when NGI asked if I would join them during their 2-week intensive, I jumped at the opportunity….and it was amazing.

I learned incredible new recipes,
from healthy Vanilla-Cardamom Ice Cream,
and gluten-free caramel cheesecake, to jello made of seaweed and even home-made bread!

I’m so excited about my experience, that I wanted to
share some of the tips that I learned. I hope these inspire you to get into the kitchen… and maybe even take a cooking class yourself too!

10 Tips I Learned at Cooking School:
1. When making a smoothie, treat it like a car – put the liquid (gas) in first, turn it on low, and then add ingredients and increase the speed. And make sure to lower the speed before shutting it off to keep the blade sharp. I LOVE this blender but a $30 one will do the job too.

2. The best way to clean a cutting board: a little lemon or distilled white vinegar with water.

3. Even if you follow a recipe step by step, it may not taste (or look) exactly the same the next time you make it. Every day, two different groups would make the same recipe and sometimes they came out completely different!

So, experiment, take risks, taste along the way and find the uniqueness in each recipe.

4. A sharp knife is safer than a dull knife. So sharpen/hone your knife every time you use it (and wash it after). Here’s a video on how to “hone” and sharpen.

5. Use different cutting techniques to change up the texture and look of a dish. For example, carrots can be sliced into round circles, cut on the diagonal into pretty chunks, chopped into small squares or julienned into thin strips. Try chopping a different way than normal next time you make a salad and amaze yourself.

6. To get rid of the garlic smell on your hands, rub your hands on stainless steel, like your refrigerator, a measuring cup or a pan. Cool, right?!

7. When buying fish, look for these things:

eyes should be clear and moist, not white and dry.

stomach should be nice and tight, not loose (ensures that the organs are still in tact and not spoiled).

gils should be nice and red or pink (not gray).

smell it – it should smell like when you’re at the ocean – not fishy.

feel it – the slimier it feels, the fresher it is!

(In the picture below, my fellow students are picking out some fresh fish during our trip to the Union Square Farmers Market)

8. When making your own salad dressing, replace some of the oil with a moisture-rich vegetable (ex. tomato, cucumber, cauliflower or zucchini) and blend in blender. Adds liquid, flavor and nutrients without adding extra oil.

9. Add salt while you’re cooking (not only after). Makes the dish taste much more harmonious vs. too “salty.” The quality also matters. This is my favorite sea salt.

10. When baking vegan, substitute 1 egg for 1 Tablespoons arrowroot + 3 Tablespoons water and voila! Below is a Raw Berry-Cashew Cheesecake dusted with gold and garnished with an edible flower. It gorgeous and delish.

11. Never stir rice while its cooking. Same goes for quinoa. Just stir it up once it’s finished cooking. I like cooking rice in this pot. (P.S How gorgeous is the sushi we made? We colored the rice with beet juice for a pretty pop of color)

12. Lentils and rice cook the same amount of time, so you can cook both in one pot. Saves time and saves you from washing double the amount of pans later on!

13. When you’re making a marinade in advance, never add sea salt to the marinade mixture — it will drain the moisture out and dry up whatever you’re marinating. Add the sea salt after. If you’re looking for ways to cook with less salt, try using sea vegetables, like wakame and arame or dulse flakes.

14. When making pesto, blanch the herbs (ex. basil, mint) for 10 seconds in boiling water, then place them in ice water, then chop. Blanching first heightens the taste and brings out the gorgeous green color. I love this pesto made with almonds and basil, or switch it up and make it with some peas!

15. Food for thought: traditionally, no cultures have ever been vegan. Vegetarian, yes, but not vegan. Interesting, right?

16. When cooking with lemon, use the rind. There are tons of bioflavonols and healthy essential oils in the pith (the white layer). I love making this lemon tea before I go to bed – satisfies my cravings for sweets and helps warm me up for sleep-mode.

17. When sauteeing or steaming greens, add sea salt. Brings out the chlorophyll – which makes the veggie brighter and even healthier.

18. When roasting veggies, leave the skin on to promote steaming inside. It will prevent the veggie from drying out. Here’s my healthy sweet potato fries recipe and below are parsnip towers with white beans in between each layer. Simple, yet fancy.

19. It’s best to use spices in the whole form and then grind them yourself because the shelf life of powders are shorter (only approx 3 months). Some examples, black pepper. Check out this pepper-grinder .

20. Aromatics, like onion, ginger, garlic and chili are best to put first into the pan. It helps to flavor whatever you’re cooking. But, beware, garlic cooks fast, so add last.

21. Smell has more of an impact on taste, so smell and taste while you’re cooking.

And, last but not least…

22. Cooking should be fun, so if you’re not having fun, you’re apparently not cooking properly!

It was really fun and eclectic group of people – from local yoga and barre teachers, to marketing execs from Brazil, nurses from Virginia and Montreal, even a juice cafe owner from the Dominican Republic and a 18 and 19 year-old aspiring college chefs!

Below are some more photos from the 2-week Intensive class. One of my favorite days was when we went to the nearby Farmers Market in Union Square to pick out fresh ingredients for home-made frittatas, pies and salad dressings. See below:

Then, once we got back to school, we created unique dishes using all of the produce from the market.

Each day, from 9:30am-4:30pm, cooked up a storm! Here, we’re plating lunch.

As you can see, we made tons of food, ate tons of food and had tons of fun! 10 entire days of deliciousness.

Hope it’s inspired you to take a cooking class too! If you live in NY or have plans to visit soon, add Natural Gourmet (NGI) to your bucket list. A cooking class is as entertaining as a Broadway Show…and nourishing, too because you get to eat what you create!

A big thank you to NGI for giving me the opportunity to attend the classes.

If you would also like to take a cooking class, they’re offering all Be Well with Arielle fans a special 15% off! Use code: Bewellwitharielle to save 15% (Exp 12/31/15). Click here to view the schedule of public classes.

And, P.S. the next available 2- Week Intensive starts August 17- August 28th (click here) and then one after that is on October 5 – October 16th (click here). They sell out quickly, so I recommend reserving your spot as soon as you can.

I love learning and can’t wait to continue taking classes and perfecting my techniques in the kitchen (and for my cooking shows)!

My husband loves when I cook dinner.
But, when I don’t cook some time of animal protein,
he goes crazy. For him, animal protein is a necessity for his body.
It helps ground him and feel nourished after a long day at work.

So, I’ve had to experiment and get super creative making
him dinners. A dish that (mostly) ever guy (and girl)
loves, but may not eat because it’s usually not “guilt-free,”chicken fingers!

Some people try to healthify them with corn flakes (um, not exactly what I would call a health food),
or panko crust (which, also, I would not consider a health food — it’s inevitably dried up wheat flour).
So, I created a super simply, delicious, clean-eating version of
our childhood favorite.

Takes less than 10 minutes to make, and you only need 6 ingredients —
chicken (organic), eggs (i recommend pasture-raised), coconut oil (i recommend aroma-free
or refined so it doesn’t taste like the tropics), sea salt and pepper.

Check out the recipe and the video on my cooking show on Healthination here.

I don’t believe in diets and I don’t categorize my style of eating in any sort of way,
but I do advocate for a healthy lifestyle that incorporates “clean eating” and “clean drinking.”

My motto: We can eat as much kale, quinoa and smoothie bowls as our hearts desire, but if we’re not drinking enough water
(or we’re drinking too much coffee, alcohol, processed fruit juice, soda and diet soda) we’re not treating our body with as much love and care and we should.

This Water Fruit Sangria is the perfect drink to pair with a clean eating lifestyle.
Sweet, hydrating and made of real ingredients — fruit and water!

Just a few minutes in the sun, and our bodies become parched and thirsty. But every day of the year, especially in the Winter, we should be dousing our bodies with water. Most of my clients aren’t even drinking half the amount that is recommended.

How much water should we be drinking? It depends on the climate where we live and work, what we normally eat and drink and our lifestyle. It also depends on the day, the weather and how our body feels. My client who is a yoga instructor based in California (and is always on the go), will probably crave lots of cool water, while my client girl who works in PR in New York City and sits at a desk all day in the air conditioning, needs warm water… and less of it.

How much water is enough?

In nutrition school, they taught that the general recommended amount is
half your body weight in ounces (for example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink 70oz – the equivalent of 9 glasses of water in an 8oz cup)

Drink caffeinated tea or coffee? Add an extra cup if water for every caffeinated beverage you drink.
Plain or sparkling? Check out my thoughts here.

I met with Fonz, a well-known personal trainer last week for a body tune-up, and he said most people need to drink a gallon of water per day.

A GALLON?! Woah.

I promised Fonz that I would try and see how my body feels. It’s the third day, and I’m feeling light and energized. I wont lie, though, it’s tough drinking this much.

I’m a water lover, so I don’t mind drinking it plain, or with a little lemon or lime, but this gorgeous, colorful fruit punch-tasting version gives me even more of an incentive to drink up! If you need some help getting a few more sips of water in, try this recipe. It’s super quick and easy to make. Works best with frozen fruit, because they kill two birds with one stone and ask as ice cubes!

Want to find a way to drink more water at work?

You’ll drink what you see, so bring a pretty pitcher and glass (at least 16oz) to work or a huge mason jar (32oz) with a straw like this so you’re inspired to drink at your desk without having to refill your cup 100 times during the day. Pack up some bags of frozen fruit to keep in your office freezer. (Your coworkers will totally be jealous of your new healthy habit and they may even copy you soon enough)

This is the huge mason jar I love drinking out of. The straw makes it easier to drink more too.

Beware — you will start going to the bathroom more, but that’s a good thing! Every time you pee, you cleanse your body and flush our toxins, bacteria (and fat). A pee break once an hour is normal and GOOD for your body. It also prevents you from getting varicose veins and blood clots.

This Brown Rice Pasta with Kale Pesto is one of my go-to dinners,
especially to make for my husband.
He often calls me from the car on his
way back from work and I’ll only have 20 minutes to whip up a meal for us.

I’m able to make it in a snap, because 1) I have the ingredients on hand and 2) it’s super quick and easy to make!

These foods are some of my kitchen staples — because:
– Olive oil is great for a quick salad dressing or light sauteeing.
– Almonds are such a great quick snack. I also add them to my smoothies for a dose of protein and good fat (instead of using a dollop of almond butter) or, I’ll eat them with 2 dates when I’m craving something sweet and energizing in the afternoon.
– Garlic is considered natures antibiotic and it lasts for weeks, so I always keep a few bulbs in my kitchen. It adds so much flavor and nutrition. I add it to store-bought tomato sauce to give my dinner a little fresh “umph” or ill sautee a little in a pan with oil for garlic oil to add to steamed vegetables.
– Brown rice pasta I love because it cooks in less than 10 minutes and totally satiates my craving for pasta, without the guilt so it’s great to keep on hand when you want to make a super quick last-minute dinner.
– Frozen veggies, especially frozen kale and spinach, I always keep in my freezer. If I have a lot of dinners or events planned during the week, I don’t buy fresh veggies because I know that they’ll go bad and then go to waste. So, I always have frozen veggies in cases when I want a litte nutrition but I don’t have fresh veggies on hand. I love throwing in frozen spinach to a berry smoothie in the morning, or I’ll even add some to home-made quinoa to add some nutrition.
– Sea salt – a must must have in all kitchens. It’s very different than regular table salt. It’s not processed, so it still has minerals intact. It adds so much flavor to savory foods, like pesto and even sweet foods, like sweet potatoes. Make sure you get good quality — salt shouldn’t make you thirsty or bloated.
– Lemon – I never like to eat or drink the same thing every day. I think it’s important to switch it up up on a daily basis — depending on mood, weather, cravings, how our body feels, etc. But, the days that I start my mornings with some warm water with lemon, or chamomile tea with lemon, I feel my best.

Last week, I wasn’t feeling like my energized self.
My legs were exhausted from standing and cooking at cooking class all day,
and I wasn’t sleeping as soundly as I usually am used to, so I woke up
feeling quite lethargic.

I was invited to a spin class later at 7pm and by 6pm, I honestly felt like
just getting into a cab and jetting home to sleep. My stomach wasn’t necessarily
hungry, but I knew that it needed some type of fuel. And, I knew that without that fuel,
I wouldn’t get as great of a workout.

Whether you do pushups in your living, have plans to go for a run or schedule a last minute yoga class with a friend, what you eat before and after can make or break a workout, and help and heal your body, too.

I believe that the best types of pre-workout foods are: high in good quality carbohydrates (approx 65%) and good quality protein (approx 35%) and the best post-workout foods are: high in protein (approx 65%) and good quality carbohydrates (approx 35%).

I hate using percentages when it comes to food but I think it gives a helpful way to picture it when ordering a smoothie before you workout, or planning a dinner after a workout.

Why? Good quality carbohydrates fuel your body and good quality protein helps replenish and recover muscles from the strain of the workout.

We’ve all heard the term “clean eating”
but depending on who you ask, it can mean something different.

In this episode, I explain my philosophy — clean eating —
and the five simple rules to make it part of your lifestyle.

I don’t categorize my eating habits or lifestyle.
For example, I’m not raw, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian,
ayurvedic or paleo and the food I cook is not either.
I eat what I want and cook what I like, but I find a healthier alternatives
to indulgent foods and enjoy it in a specific way.

It’s not about limitations or a diet,
it’s a lifestyle.

Now you can eat what you crave while nourishing your body…
and not feel guilty, either!

At my “Spring into Health” event last week, I made this salad dressing for the guests. I told them
that the Master Cleanse inspired me!
Traditionally, people who partake in the Master Cleanse drink a concoction of lemon, maple syrup and cayenne over a period of days — anywhere from 3 days, up to 30 days! 30 days of just lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne. Impressive, right?!

I love food, so the Master Cleanse is not something I would like to partake in. I also believe that there are less intense ways to cleanse your body.

Heres 1 way you can cleanse without depriving yourself of food:

In the Spring, it’s important to intake foods that are astringent and spicy, as well as seasonal and bitter.
Astringent foods help dry up fat in the body, spicy foods help rev up the metabolism and seasonal foods give the body what nature intends it to have.

This salad dressing, made of lemon, honey and cayenne tastes like a spicy lemonade! Delicious, refreshing and healthy!

Lemon = astringent
Local Honey = seasonal
Cayenne = spicy

This dressing = YUM

Perfect salad dressing to eat in the Spring. Goes perfectly with spring greens, like rainbow chard!

Are you as excited as I am that BBQ season is right around the corner?!

Instead of loading up on tortilla chips and creamy dips that will leave you feeling
heavy and bloated, try this clean eating recipe at your next BBQ — home-made chips and hummus dip that will leave you feeling light and energized.

Feel free to add some carrots (like the Carrot-Turmeric Hummus recipe I posted last week) or add some beets for a pretty pop of pink! It makes a great hot weather snack and side for dinner.

Watch how to make home-made chips and dip in my new cooking series with Healthination HERE.

Last month I hosted a”Spring into Health” Wellness Event as part of my Seasonal Be Well Event Series.

I served a Spring-inspired menu, talked about what to eat in the Spring and the guests even helped me demonstrate how to make the dishes!

We had such a blast. The guests loved it and my heart was full!

During my lecture, I spoke about eating more of the following Spring foods to stay strong, healthy and fit.

Here are some of the tips:

Light, Dry, Warm foods: such as flavorful steamed veggies, brothy soups, brown rice help energize and warm us up, so it’s best to increase consumption of these in the Spring.

Seasonal Foods: such as carrots, beets, asparagus, peas and greens help aid in cleansing the liver. When we eat with the seasons, we’re giving our body what nature intends it to have, so head to your farmers market (or Supermarket and look for foods that are locally grown) and eat up!

Astringent Foods: like lemons, apple cider vinegar and coconut vinegar are great for preparing your body in the Spring because they help dry up fat and lighten the tissues in the body to prepare you for Summer.

I also showed a demonstration of how to use a Dry brush. It’s one of my favorite daily morning rituals and helps stimulate blood flow, rids dead skin cells, energizes you, helps with cellulite and metabolism. I absolutely swear by it, so I wanted to share..and the guests loved it!

Here’s the Spring menu I served:

Incorporating foods and ingredients to rejuvenate, cleanse and energize the body.

Recipe 1:

Simple Chard Salad with a Spicy Lemonade Dressing (bitter and astringent)– made with lemon, honey and cayenne. Get the recipe here.

Recipe 2:

Carrot-Turmeric Hummus (seasonal and bitter) made with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon and turmeric. Get the recipe here.

Thank you, Coco-mat for hosting this amazing event at your beautiful, natural space, Simply Organic for providing us with delicious, cleansing spices to inspire the guests to cook more and Bleustorm Vodka for helping to spike out green juices!

Hope to see you at the next event! I’m hosting the Summer version called “Hot and Healthy” on June 23rd and hope you can come!

And if you’re not able to make it for the intensive (I know it’s during the day…and only offered in NY), be sure to check out
their list of public classes (they have tons of vegan and gluten-free baking and cooking classes too)!

Oh, and their Friday Night Dinner is truly one of New York’s best kept secrets. It’s a candle-lit, 3-course vegetarian meal prepared by the Chef’s Training Program students and instructors! They use seasonal, local, fresh, traditional and whole ingredients, often vegan and/or gluten-free AND it’s BYOB so you can bring tons of wine or even spiked green juices! Not to mention, it’s only $45. Make a reservation next time you’re in NY HERE.

Hope to see you in class on May 25th!!

Follow me on instagramHERE for behind-the-scenes look when I’m at school!

My husband is away in New Orleans for Jazzfest, so I’ve got the apartment all to myself. When he’s home or when I’m all alone, this is my go-to breakfast on the weekend — a healthier take on french toast.

Last week, I hosted a “Spring into Health” event at Coco-mat in NYC.
I spoke about the importance of eating seasonal veggies
and bitter spices during the Spring.

Back in the day, I would have terrible stomach issues –
cramping and aching pain on the left side of my stomach.
It would be so bad at night sometimes, I would need my friends and boyfriend
to massage my stomach.

Once I started being more conscious of what I was putting into my body, eating seasonally
AND chewing really well, my issues subsided.

Seasonal foods ensures that you’re giving your
body what nature is intending it to have.
I rarely eat bananas because they never grow in NY.
I steer clear of berries in the winter and put apples into my smoothies, instead.

Seasonal foods helps your digestive system function
better and bitter foods and spices help stimulate, detoxify and cleanse the liver.